The ICANN Board held another secret phone meeting May 13. As usual, the public was not allowed to listen in. And, unlike the DNSO Names Council, as usual no recording was taken, and no .mp3's are available for the public to hear after the fact. It's important to remember that this is how ICANN understands its by-laws obligation to be as transparent as possible when considering what faith if any to put in the fresh rounds of promises we are going to get in the ICANN 'Reform' Plan. (Are .mp3's beyond ICANN's capabilities? It's a thought.)

What is perhaps most disturbing aboout Auerbach's comments is that the staff gives the Board so little advance notice about the substance of the matters being discussed. And that the Board put up with it.

It's hard to see how a regular practice of getting key documents from 0.5 to 1.5 days before a meeting can lead to decent decisions, not to mention any pretense of consultation. I suppose if you aren't accountable to anyone, it reduces the incentive to take your job seriously.